Environment & Energy news

Seoul City to Open Three Urban Parks on Expanded Green Space

03/20/2017SMG10563

Over the past five years (2012-2016), 197 new green spaces have been created in downtown Seoul. The total area amounts to 1,880,000㎡, which is eight times the size of Yeouido Park (230,000㎡) and 142 times the size of Seoul Plaza (13,207㎡). At present, Seoul has a total of 2,278 green spaces (146.22㎢), which accounts to approximately a quarter of the city’s total area (605.25㎢).

Building large parks → Utilizing industrial heritage and regenerating underused spaceThe Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) expanded parks and green spaces in Seoul by implementing a new parks and forests formation method of discovering and regenerating industrial heritage, underused space, and other spare space. It used to be that local governments built medium-to-large size parks such as Yeouido Park (1999, 230,000㎡), World Cup Park (2002; 2,300,000㎡), and Seoul Forest (2005, 430,000㎡). Recent projects, however, utilize and regenerate spare land and incorporate private sector participation to expand the size of parks and green spaces. Using this method, the SMG has increased the number of parks located within 10 minutes of walking distance from residential areas and implemented various measures to reduce green service exclusion areas.

Opening of three urban regeneration parks and three green passagewaysThree urban generation parks built on industrial heritages will open to the public in 2017. The first park, ‘Seoullo 7017,’ the first overpass park in the country, is set to have its official opening on May 20, 2017.The ‘Culture Depot Base’ is a park being built inside Mapo Oil Depot, which was built in the 70s, that will open during the first half of 2017 to house performance and exhibition halls. During the second half of 2017, ‘Gyeongchun Line (Railroad) Forest,’ a 6.3㎞ long large linear park formed on a discontinued railroad, will be in full operation.In addition, three ‘green passageways’ will open to connect or reuse disconnected or deserted green land in 2017. The SMG plans to systematically build seven passageways by 2019.

Opening of ‘Choansan Family Camping Site’ and ‘Youth Forest’ in May 2017A number of camping sites will open in downtown Seoul in 2017. Family Camping Sites are interactive parks built on deserted green land. The Choansan Family Camping Site will open in Choansan Mountain, Nowon-gu in May 2017 with an outdoor spa and pool. The Youth Forest will open in Buramsan Mountain as a space for teenagers to learn about safety and relieve their stress from studying.

Opening of ‘Choansan Family Camping Site’ and ‘Youth Forest’ in May 2017